How to turn up the heat on your energy bill

Let's face it -- it's one thing to freeze your bottom off outside but in your home you want to be toasty and warm. That toasty feeling can put a damper on your bank account.

Lets see if we can help take the heat off your bank account during these winter months.

If you are going to invest in anything you might want to think about some extra blankets. Keeping the thermostat at 62 at night with a few extra blankets will give you that toasty cozy feeling you are after and also help lower your bill.

By turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours, you can save 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill -- a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is 8 hours long. The key is to keep it at the same temperature for an extended period of time -- 8 hours should do the trick.

A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.

The lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature. 

Add moisture

If you have ever had a baby that needed a humidifier you might remember how warm the room got when you used it. Well why not fire one up to help keep you warm? By using a humidifier you will be adding moisture to your home.

Winter air is cold and dry, that translates to heat escaping more rapidly. Warm, moist air will trap the heat in your home. Can't afford a humidifier? No problem, get some plants. They will actually do the same thing. Once you water them, it will create a condensation effect. The goal is to keep the air moist.

Thermostat placement is important. Be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions so you don't get false readings. If your thermostat is by a window or door where you get lots of sun your reading may be off. It should be located where natural room air currents -- warm air rising, cool air sinking -- occur. Furniture will block natural air movement, so do not place pieces in front of or below your thermostat. 

If you are leaving town, drop your thermostat to 55 degrees. Since you aren't in your home there is no reason to heat it up. You just want to make sure your pipes don't freeze.

If these lower temps are hard to swallow, add this little fact to your brain. When the temperature drops, your personal energy expenditure increases, so you burn more calories (roughly 100 more a day). Over a period of several weeks, that increased energy can translate into an extra 3,500 calories burned, which means one lost pound. You might not even need to spend money on a gym membership -- just one of many savings from lowering your thermostat.